1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present Invention relates generally to an improved staggered treble fish hook which is attached to the loop at the rear end of a fishing lure (such as a spinner, spoon, plug, etc.) and casted out into waters inhabited by game fish. The fluttering motions of the lure as it is retrieved incites some fish to attack its rear end taking the lure to be food (a wounded minnow, insect, etc.). More specifically, the lowered profile (bite-height of the acutely upwardly pointing trailing primary hook) coupled with a three dimensional staggering of the substantially forward pointing barbs of secondary and tertiary hooks, make the device more effective in hooking attacking or nibbling fish of any size.
2. PRIOR ART
Attempts have been made in the past to produce fish hook devices (for use on lures) with increased effectiveness (over the widely used symmetrical treble hook device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings) in hooking, barbing and landing game fish.
Relevant prior art devices used on fishing lures are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,151 issued on Jul. 18, 1967 to P. W. Turrentine, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,680,321 issued on Jun. 8, 1954 to O. D. Premo, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,782,551 issued on Feb. 26, 1957 to J. W. Raynond, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,317 issued on Sep. 4, 1968 to J. R. Pobst, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,947 issued on Mar. 15, 1955 to E. J. Petrasek ET AL, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,539 issued on Feb. 7, 1956 to J. M. Kelly, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,632,278 issued on Mar. 24, 1953 to J. W. Raymond. The Mustad company catalogs from as far back as 1983 and as recent as 1995, show a single worm hook that angles downward from the straight portion of its shank, then bends gently back and projects the point upward at an angle of about 23 degrees with the shank.
None of the aforesaid prior art and no other means, known to the applicant, attempts to utilize a single rearwardly extending low profile trailing primary hook member with an acutely upturned barbed hook that is symmetrically balanced by the presence, position and orientation of two axially adjoining leading hooks with their barbs staggered so as to elongate the strike zone. The strike zone is the region in front of the distributed hook barbs of the treble which if struck by a fish's mouth, causes the fish to be pricked, hooked and barbed.